Opening The iPhone Blog to Volunteers. I Want Your Feedback, and Your Wallet

Unlike most professional bloggers, I have a real job (snap!). I work as a self-employed freelance web designer and creative professional. A job that consumes most of my available time that would otherwise be devoted to writing. Since this site was incepted I have run it, literally, with one hand and four fingers tied behind my back. Each post I write is done with one remaining pinky finger, in the span of whatever free minutes I can spare each hour or afternoon. Even as time deprived as I am, I still managed to make this blog one of the most popular iPhone enthusiast destinations on the internets. Not a bad achievement for one person, but still woefully inadequate.

My schedule is becoming increasingly burdened with work, and writing time seems to be lessening. The latter part of last week I spent on the road meeting with new clients and collaborating on projects. My "free" time was so sparse I not only hadn't posted news, I completely missed Free Wallpaper Friday...an inexcusable atrocity akin to drowning kittens. Ironically it seems that the very thing that has made this blog what it is (me) is also holding it back (me again). And that's not good. So the time has come to make some hard decisions here at the old iPhone blog. My options are...

Give up my job and work as a full time professional writer? I would love the opportunity to do just that, but this crazy capitalist system we live under requires currency for the acquisition of goods and services. My income would disappear in the blink of an eye. Unless some larger publication acquires this blog and hires me in, this isn't an option, sadly.

Throw in the towel and shut down the site. Again, not an option. That kitten drowning analogy comes to mind.

Open the site to volunteers and user generated content.

The last option seems most rational, and interesting. So here's the deal - I want your feedback. How does this idea sound to you? Would you like to see user generated news and reviews? Or would you rather this site remains as it exists now...a walled garden with me as its despite ruler? Better still, what would you, dear readers, like to see added to improve this site? Any and all options are on the table. Speak your mind and I'll listen. Post your comments below, or use the contact form to shoot me an email...or engage in character assassination.

Lastly, thank you all for your loyal support. You folks are what makes all this worth the effort. Cheers!

Reader comments

Opening The iPhone Blog to Volunteers. I Want Your Feedback, and Your Wallet

Wow, so many comments. Guess I should say something here...
I basically only come here for the funny photos and commentary by you. If you start asking others to write for you, they better damn well be funny or else I won't care or do anything. ;P

I agree with Alex, this site is smart, witty and above all, funny. I would definitely be a supporter of keeping the site open and would love to help.
As for suggestions: why not try and delegate some of the weekly or scheduled tasks. You could assign one person (other than yourself) to create the Friday wallpapers and such. Also, get that chick from MacRumors who has (had?) the weekly iPhone blog to help you out. She seemed to be right into blogging.
Good luck,
Joel

This site is all about you, Kent. Your sense of humor and graphic design skills are the reason I visit the site. If I simply wanted iPhone news, there are lots of sites I can visit (and I do). Personally, I understand that this is not your "real job" and that you "have a life" of sorts. Thanks for everything you do. Don't change a thing. It's you, baby, it's you!

Thanks guys. The email response I've gotten is rather surprising. The majority opinion favors keeping the site as it is, and recommending that I dedicate more time and effort to writing. Wasn't expecting that.
Something more to ponder I suppose. The tail chasing continues.

i think that if you read through the reviews and comments and picked the ones that sounded like you it would work. the question is would that be more time consuming then what you are doing now. that is a question only you are going to be able to answer. your writes are definetly unique though and quite funny. would you be able to generate enough revenue if you opened a store or portal store where you just link to other websites for a fee. go to bigger sites and see if they will pay you for directed traffic.

I mainly check this feed for the news factor. Like the updated google reader thing - didn't know about that! So with that in mind, as long as there is some fresh content here, maybe once a week, I'll keep coming back.
No pressure, dude. Let someone else take some of the workload off.

I was downloading a software update from iTunes and then I got an unexpected error. Then the phone is forcing to restore and thus I lose all my data, including my pictures.
What can I do? How do I get my pictures back?
I hope someone can help.
Thanks!

I downloaded jailbreakme on the iphone, 3 weeks later i went into the spicychicken customization option on my iphone. I was going to re-arrange my icons. There was "eyeballs" on the list on the right side of the icons. When I touched the panel the eyes dissappeared. My iphone reset when it restarted I only had 4 icons on my springboard!!! Can somebodt help me get the icons back?

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